Old Friends, Crackers, and the End of the Universe
by Bellalyse Winchester
Summary: Read and you will find insects, restaurants, rings, Daleks, romance, Voidstuff, crackers, mysterious smoke, people who aren't ginger-and one person who is-and lots and lots of fun. Newest chapter is a teaser of the sequel, with a link to a Youtube teaser!
1. Prologue

"Doctor!"

The Doctor turned to face his companions curiously. "What?"

Amy raised a hand; whatever was cupped within it was too small to see from across the ancient cavern, (well, ancient to the planet but just a hop, skip and a jump away from Amy and Rory's time—couldn't be much more than a hundred years later, at any rate) so he bolted across the room. Rory was peering over her shoulder as well, and extended a hand to it before Amy slapped it away.

"It's a ring," Rory said, wincing at the slap but saying nothing more about it. The Doctor peered in closely, an inch from Amy's hand.

"Well, of course it's a ring," he said, watching it carefully. The other two glanced between him and the ring curiously. Something seemed to be ticking in his mind, and he took a step backwards thoughtfully. "Somebody's been here just before us, or—and this is a very wonderful thought—is still here right now."

"D—Doctor?" Amy asked. "Who does the ring belong to?"

"_To whom does the ring belong_, Amy, respect the good grammar," the Doctor corrected, never once taking his eyes from the ring.

The woman groaned, rolling her eyes and grabbing Rory's sleeve, as if for support. "To _whom_ does it belong, then?"

The Doctor began to smile. "To someone noble," he whispered, a small laugh escaping his lips. Amy and Rory suddenly blinked, looking beyond him. "Someone…so, so noble. And brilliant. And clever. And…you're standing right behind me, aren't you, Donna?"

He turned around, and his eyes met a face he'd never seen, but eyes only wise enough for one woman.

"Oi, watch it, Spaceman," Donna grinned.


	2. Chapter 1

The Doctor knocked on Donna's door before turning and leaning on it, legs crossed.

"Noble! No—yes, I quite like that, Noble. Noble!"

He heard an exasperated groan through the wood. "Oh my God, _Doctor_, it's five in the morning!"

"Is it?" he asked curiously, glancing at his watch. "Well—my goodness, it is! Imagine that! It's just, I popped out for a mo, had a bite to eat, some fish custard. I love fish custard now, Noble, isn't that mad?"

"Completely," she answered. "Especially when you consider that I love it now, too." The door opened, and the Doctor collapsed backwards, staring up at an amused Donna. His face scarlet, he got to his feet quickly.

"You look…different," was all he managed to say. She had long, dark brown hair tied in two red ribbons on either side of her face. She was slimmer, too—veritably a size zero, he noted, though he pushed it from his mind quickly—and younger.

"Oh, you look exactly the same," she replied, raising her eyebrows. She offered him a hand, which he accepted gratefully. "Maybe a bit younger…how old are you now, four?"

"Nine hundred and eight!" the Doctor exclaimed, acutely aware that his face was berry red. Why? He forced himself to remember that she was his best friend.

Donna shook her head, rolling her eyes, before leaping forward and enveloping him in a massive hug. "I have missed you so much," she breathed. Instinctively he hugged her just as tightly.

"I came back and saw you, once or twice," he said into her hair. She was right there, _really_ right there, there with him. "When the Master race—naw, you wouldn't remember that, would you?" He stepped away from her, appraising her in his eyes. "It is great to see you again; I really don't have the words…"

"It's wonderful to see you too, Spaceman," she replied.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "So…what happened to Shaun?"

Donna shrugged, a little put out. "I outlived him," she said; the Doctor's eyes darkened.

"Oh."

She bit her lip. "And the kids."

At this, he couldn't help a smile. "You had kids?"

She nodded. "Four of them: Peter, Bobby, Mikey, and little Sylvia." When the Doctor wrinkled his nose, she glared at him. "Oi! It's my mother's name, it's a perfectly good name!"

"You couldn't have names one of the boys Wilfred? Naw, let's name her Sylvia, maybe she can grow up to be a batty old—"

"_Oi!_" Donna shouted. "Spaceman, that's my family you're talking about!"

"Your mother! She's a rude, bitter, ungrateful—"

"Well, if that's not the pot calling the kettle black!"

"How dare you?"

"I'm the Doctor _flipping_ Donna, have you got that, Time Boy? I _dare_ because I _call it_ as I _see it!_"

They glared at one another silently for several moments, before turning to the side and seeing Amy and Rory staring at them, mouths agape.

"What are they fighting about?" Rory asked Amy quietly, as though the Doctor and Donna wouldn't hear.

"Probably about whether or not they're keeping you," Amy replied, a little smirk on her face. Rory looked indignant, and she rolled her eyes, raising her voice to a speaking level. "So, you're…Donna Noble, was it?"

Donna's scowl had changed into a look of surprise, which then became a wide smile. "Yep. Hasn't told you about me, has he? Not his way, of course. I should know—I _do_ know, just so you know. Although, thought he might've _mentioned_ me, at least, the most important woman in the whole of creation—or is that last year's news? New 'Most Important' title every week."

"That's not true," the Doctor said; he was the only one keeping up with her. "You're still important. It's just…"

"You moved on; I understand!" Donna exclaimed. "One of us had to. I fell back into my old life, temping and reading the celebrity gossips, because you didn't even consider that I might _regenerate._"

The Doctor closed his eyes, raising his hands in surrender. Opening his eyes, he allowed himself a grin at Amy and Rory. "Come on, Noble. Let's not fight in front of the kids."

Donna sighed, unable to conceal her own grin. "Yes, right. Well, maybe you had fish custard, but I haven't had anything in days. How about we go somewhere, and you buy me as much food as I can eat before I stuff myself to death, and we all get acquainted?"

"Sounds fun," Rory said shakily. When the others looked at him in amusement, he shrugged. "What? She's a little scary. I don't want to get on her bad side."


	3. Chapter 2

**I think I must get some sort of high off of reviews...PLEASE SUPPORT MY ADDICTION! **

**So, I'm uploading three chapters today. You, in turn, could be very grateful and-I don't know, maybe review?  
**

**kthnxbai and XOXO forevers,  
~Bella  
**

* * *

"I'll have the fish custard."

"Make that two."

Amy and Rory stared across the table at the Doctor and Donna in disbelief. The waitress nodded, scrawling that into her notes before leaving. Amy leaned forward.

"Seriously? You too?"

"Anyway," the Doctor interjected quickly. "So, Donna Noble, I'd like to hear the story. How'd all this happen?"

"The face? D'you like it?" she asked; Amy and Rory could see the Doctor's face grow a darker shade of pink. "Hit by a car. Menial little thing, but it made me start to regenerate. Regenerated into a _proper_ Time Lady, I'll have you know, two hearts and all."

"You're like him?" Amy asked before shooting the Doctor a conspiratorial look that made him shiver.

"I was human," she answered. "Touched his disembodied hand, grew a new him and made me part Time Lord."

"You mean, part Doctor," Amy smiled.

"Disembodied—hand?" Rory asked, swallowing uncomfortably.

"Got it cut off in a swordfight," Donna explained. "Grew a new one—of course, now he's grown a new everything."

"Right before I met you, Amy," the Doctor put in. "That's why I was all gawky and awkward; new body, so I didn't know quite how to cope, did I?"

Donna snorted. "You were all gawky and awkward because that's _you._"

The Doctor frowned as Amy giggled, and Rory smirked. "Hey! Look who's rude and not ginger _now_."

"You were ginger?" Amy asked, eyes lighting up with interest.

"Worst thing about the change," Donna sighed. "No more red hair. This bloke's been praying for ginger hair for years."

"Gingers for the win!" Amy held her hand up, and Donna gave her a high five.

"So, then what?" the Doctor asked. "You didn't just show up on that planet magically."

"Captain Jack," Donna answered. "Only other person in the world that refused to shrivel up and die. Found him, and he lent me his vortex manipulator."

She held up her arm, and they saw the device there.

"And…you just made up base codes?"

"I've been jumping through time and space," Donna smiled. "Can you blame me?"

The Doctor watched her talk, eyes vacant, before shaking his head. "I'm sorry," he said, a light smile on his lips. "I just can't believe it…you don't even _look_ like you, you look…"

Donna smirked. "I'm still me," she said. "Well, when I say me, I mean part me, part you, but…been that way so long, it's me."

"That explains the fish custard," Amy pointed out. "She generated—regenerated, whatever—like you, so she's like you now, not like…the old you."

There was silence for a few moments, broken by Rory.

"Am I the only one who isn't following?"

Donna bit her lip. "Excuse me for a moment." She got to her feet, turning about to enter the women's restroom.

Amy set her hands on the table and leaned over to the Doctor. "Hey. Doctor-boy."

He furrowed his brow at her. "Um…hey, Pond-girl?"

She rolled her eyes. "I thought you had something with River, but—"

"Just what are you implying?" The Doctor leaned backwards uncomfortably.

Amy smirked. "Oh, come on. Even Rory can see it. Rory, can't you see it?" Rory opened his mouth to speak, but she was faster. "He can see it."

"Thanks…dear," Rory murmured.

"You've got a thing for her," Amy said, looking proud of herself. The Doctor's mouth fell agape.

"That is completely untrue," he said, though in the back of his mind he doubted that. "She's my _best friend_. That's all. That's all it's ever been, all it'll ever be. As a matter of fact, when I met her, she was getting married."

"And how did that work out?" Amy refused to back down, and the Doctor felt his cheeks flush.

"Well—um—he wasn't really into her, he was just using her for a giant—"

"Details, details," Amy said, waving a hand with disinterest. "It didn't work out. And through thick and thin—I mean, if you were BFFs and everything, you've probably been through some stuff—you must've been there for her a good deal."

"Because she was my friend," the Doctor put in. Amy shook her head adamantly.

"All right, Doctor Smarty-pants. Maybe you _were_ just friends. But both of you _have_ changed, and you never know! People can change, even without the help of regenerations and Time Lord Mumbo-jumbo."

The Doctor frowned. "You're wrong," he insisted.

Amy smirked. "Whatever. But I can promise you this: I will not rest until I get the two of you together."

Suddenly, Donna came bolting across the room to them.

"We need to get everybody out of here," she breathed, urgency in her eyes. As the others stared at her, she slammed her fist on the table. "_Now!_"

"Why?" the Doctor asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Suddenly there was a crashing sound in the kitchen, accompanied by screams as the staff practically broke down the door to leave first. The other occupants of the restaurant seemed startled.

"Because there is a Dalek in there," Donna said gruffly.

All four turned to watch the door as it began to open, pushed by the metal shell of a Dalek.

"_Escape!_" it screamed. "_Escape! Must escape!_"


	4. Chapter 3

Everyone was on their feet at once, backing away towards the door.

"Doctor?" Amy said, her voice high. "What sort of thing is bad enough to scare a Dalek?"

Donna swallowed. "I thought the only thing was him."

"Well, as I am here, and not in there—that I know of—it must be running from something else," the Doctor pointed out.

"Am I the only one here?" Rory breathed as the Dalek drew closer. "We're in a restaurant with a Dalek—shouldn't we be saying 'Aaaaaaah!'"

"Don't be such a drama queen, Rory, it's just one Dalek," the Doctor said. "I mean—I think."

It stopped halfway across the room, and swiveled to face them. "_Doctor!_" it screamed. "_Doctor! Save me, Doctor!_"

"What is it you're running from?" the Doctor asked, intrigued.

"_The Devourer,_" the Dalek screamed, as suddenly electrical sparks began to light about its shell. The Doctor lunged forward, holding out his screwdriver, but was too late; all four ducked beneath tables as the shell exploded, Dalekanium bursting across the room.

The Doctor was the first to peek his head up. "It's dead," he said, walking over to the Dalek. Its tentacled body was exposed, and its eyes rolled upwards coldly. Its skin was dry, however, and unnaturally black.

"Is _that_ what's inside of a Dalek?" Amy shrieked in horror.

"This is a Dalek," Donna said, joining the Doctor by the body. "Doctor, what could do this? It looks…sick, even worse than Dalek Caan."

"I don't know," he murmured. "And where did the Dalek come from in the first place? I mean, as civilizations go, they're awful, but…something was trying to murder this one in cold blood."

They leapt back suddenly as its tentacles began to jerk.

"_Feed! Grow! Feed! Grow—No!" _It was impossible to tell what was happening to it. "_Doctor, save—feed, grow, feed—Doctor!" _

"I'm…here," the Doctor said quickly. "Imagine, me offering help to a Dalek—what do you need? What's the Devourer?"

"_Larger than the universe!_" The Dalek screamed. "_Feed—it is assimilating me! Save me, Doctor!"_

"How?"

"_Kill…me!_"

Donna, Rory, and Amy looked from the Dalek to the Doctor, who gritted his teeth.

"It's not even properly alive, is it, Doctor?" Donna asked. "The Dalek. It's already dead, and this is just its last shred of memory crying out. Like in the Library."

"Yes," the Doctor answered, though Donna could tell it was beyond him to take its life, when it had done nothing against him.

"Doctor, killing it now would be merciful," Amy whispered.

"I know."

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. All eyes turned to Donna as she pocketed a laser.

"I couldn't stand it," she said shakily. "It was just like talking to Miss Evangelista in the Library. I still see her face, Doctor, in my nightmares. Along with all the people we couldn't quite save."

With that, she got to her feet and left the restaurant.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hai there! It's-a Bella!**

**I feel so bad that I haven't updated any of my other fics in FOREVER...so, this entire fic is an I'M SORRY fic, I'm sorry the others aren't quite so polished yet. **

**It's also a chance to write Rory, my FAVORITE character of series 5. He's not a huge part, I'll write him a fic all of his own someday, but right now it's mainly an 11xDonna fic. **

**Love you always and forever,  
XOXO,  
~Bella  
**

* * *

As the Doctor, Rory, and Amy left the restaurant, Amy grabbed the Doctor's arm.

"What—what are you doing?"

"Oh, _come off it!_" Amy rolled her eyes. "You two argue like an old married couple. Seriously! When you're not getting along happy as clams, you're at each other's throats!"

"I've got to go with Amy on this one," Rory agreed. "I mean, aside from the Dalek, that back there was a double date."

"It was not," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "It was four friends—one of whom, may I add, is _impossible_—getting together for lunch. Aside from the Dalek, which I honestly believe is far more serious than my relationship with Donna. And that is strictly friendship."

They found Donna waiting outside the TARDIS, her arms crossed.

"Sorry, guys," she said. "It's just that I've got all these pent-up memories thanks to _someone_, but that's okay. Now, we've got to figure out where that Dalek came from."

"I actually had an idea," the Doctor said. Donna smiled.

"I was thinking exactly what you were," she said, pulling four pairs of 3-D glasses from her pocket.

The Doctor beamed. "That's the Donna I remember!"

She passed the glasses out, and Rory tried his on with a grin. "Amy, oh my gosh, everything's in three dimensions!"

Amy smiled, hitting his shoulder. "Shut up, idiot. What are these for, Donna?"

"Seeing Voidstuff," she replied. "If the Doctor and I are correct, that Dalek came from the Void, a place of nothing with nothing in it and a whole big vat of nothing on top. If it came from the Void, what we need to know is why and how. Now come on, we've got to check that place for Voidstuff."

She turned about, marching back to the restaurant, and Rory and Amy looked amusedly at the Doctor.

"I can see who wears the pants in your TARDIS, mate," Rory laughed, clapping the Doctor on the arm before following Donna. The Doctor ignored his and Amy's laughs, instead watching Donna. As she turned into the restaurant, she flipped a lock of chocolate hair from her face; he felt his eyes soften just a little. Why did she insist on being so perfect—not that she was any less than perfect before, but…perfect for _him?_

Quickly he stifled that undesired thought.

They entered the kitchen, and almost immediately their eyes found the small cloud of Voidstuff just ahead of them.

"Doctor, is that it?" Amy asked, waving a hand at the cloud. "That's…weird."

"The residue of—"

"—trips between universes," Donna finished, offering the Doctor a smirk. He rolled his eyes.

"Just because you're the most intelligent creature in the universe doesn't mean you've got to wave it in everybody's face, Donna," he chastised. "Yes, it's the residue from trips between universes, but the Dalek said this thing was larger than the universe. The only place that can fit something larger than the universe is the Void, which is an eternal emptiness."

"How can something be larger than the universe?" Rory asked, furrowing his brow. "And, what good would the universe be to something like that?"

"He's got a point," Donna said. "There's got to be a reason it killed that Dalek."

"It was screaming, 'Feed,'" the Doctor murmured. "I don't think that was a Dalek, I think it was the Devourer, whatever it is. Think, think, think…" He pushed his hair back in frustration. "What would be in the Void? Obviously it wants _out_ of the Void, and…perhaps it can't get out without _attaching _itself to something, like a parasite."

"It wanted to feed," Donna said thoughtfully. "Feed and grow. Maybe that rip in the universe wasn't _the_ rip—"

"—maybe it was just a ripple effect," the Doctor and Donna said at once.

"Neither of you are making any sense," Amy pointed out.

"We're making perfect sense," they continued in unison. "You're just not keeping up."

Donna grinned at the Doctor. "Just like old times," she said with a laugh. He watched her silently as she continued to speak. "Now, see, it's hidden away. But there must be something opening the gap for it to come through, or else how would it escape?"

Amy and Rory furrowed their brows. "Who would open it?" Amy asked.

"Someone…crazy, I would hope," Rory said. "I'd hate to see the guy in his right mind freeing some sort of monster."

"Come on, let's go outside," Donna said. "Oi!" She snapped her fingers in front of the Doctor's face, recalling him from his thoughts. "Wake up, all right? We've got to look around for something to reveal the site of whatever's going on."

He nodded, but Donna's grin told him she was suspecting something. "Right. It'll probably be around here, why else would the TARDIS drop us right _here?_"

Rory raised his eyebrows. "Oh? I thought you could, you know, _steer._"

Donna laughed. "That's a big myth he likes to spread around."


	6. Chapter 5

They headed outside, looking around.

"It might not be something obvious," the Doctor said thoughtfully, leading them across the street. Rory and Amy shrugged; the latter sat down on a bench which proclaimed, '_Hapsabilico, Devour the best flavor in the universe!_'

"It could be right under our noses," she said, scanning the street. "Something we'd never look twice at."

"I still don't see why people would want to bring this thing out of the Void," Rory said. Donna cocked her head to the side thoughtfully.

"What if it's not people?" she asked. "Human people, I mean. It could be aliens, some species that wants to use Earth and this Devourer."

"But why?" Rory asked. "Why Earth, why _always _Earth?"

"Just lucky, I suppose," the Doctor said absently, staring at the horizon. Donna followed his gaze, and then looked from a building across the Thames to the bench Amy was sitting on. "Then again, it might be your gullibility and affinity for the newest trends. Hapsabilico."

"Doctor, do you see where that factory is?" Donna asked, tugging at the hem of his sleeve. He nodded. "And do you see the caption on that bench?"

He spun about. "Amy, get up!" he exclaimed. She leapt to her feet, indignant, and he took a deep, excited breath.

"What factory?" Amy asked in confusion. "What's on the—" She broke off as she read the caption. "'D—devour'?" she asked suspiciously.

"That factory is located on the exact spot HC Clements stood," the Doctor said slowly. "Why would anyone build a factory there—"

"If they did," Donna said, "They would've cleared off HC Clements. That means, very probably, they found the tunnel."

"What's Hapsabilico?" the Doctor asked no one in particular. "Awfully big name."

"I don't know," Amy shrugged.

"Snack foods," Rory said; they turned to see him standing by a bin, prying out an old, metallic wrapper. "Hapsabilico crackers. There's tons of the wrappers in here."

"Rory, that's disgusting, put that back," the Doctor ordered. "Right, so they're _crackers_. An evil…_cracker_ corporation. Well, that's original enough, I suppose, this might just be fun."

"Come on," Donna said. "You can psychic-paper us in, Doctor, and then we can have ourselves a good look around."

"Right; let's go," the Doctor agreed, and he, Donna, and Amy shot off.

"Hey! This time, can I _not _be your eunuch?" Rory called before running after them.

They reached the entrance to the building in a few moments. The Doctor swiped the paper across a scanner, and the outside gates immediately swung open. The others followed the Doctor in, peering up at the giant smokestacks emblazoned with the words '_Hapsabilico: Feed, Grow, Devour._'

"People look, but they never really pay attention," Amy murmured. "'Feed, Grow, Devour'? That's _not_ a slogan, it's a threat."

"More like a promise," Donna replied warily.

They found a guard standing at an entrance to the main factory; the Doctor raised his psychic paper. "Hello, we're the expectors. You've been inspecting us?"

They were all silent until Amy nudged him in the side.

"Doctor. Inspectors. Expecting. Not the other way around."

"Yes, we're the inspectors," the Doctor said quickly. "And you've been _ex_pecting us. Sorry, I get so nervous when I'm telling the truth. Lizzie at the front desk called me, sweet girl, said to just let us in, we'll find our way about. To inspect the stuff."

By some miracle, the guard was slower than they could've possibly hoped.

"Yes, right this way, Inspector," he said.

"Ahem, call me Doctor, but I get the picture," the Doctor said quickly as the door opened and they were waved in. Rory shook his head in disbelief.

"You are unbelievable," he said. "How'd you get him to believe _that?_"

"The trick to a good lie is in the details," the Doctor said simply. "Be as vague as possible, but mention a name, any name. Names are good."

"Or, maybe just lie to people who are idiots," Rory pointed out.

The Doctor shrugged. "That can work too, yeah."


	7. Chapter 6

The corridors of the building were long and narrow; the Doctor traced the walls with his fingers, his ear against the cool cement.

"Why is the hallway so narrow?" he asked.

"Why are there no doors?" Donna asked. "Or any turns into other hallways? It's just one long hallway."

"In a gigantic factory," the Doctor added. "And do you know something? I can hear _nothing_ through this wall; no machinery, no people, no nothing. People have to _work_ here, or things, aliens, headless marionettes…something. Nothing!"

"Maybe the walls are just thick," Rory said before Amy jabbed him in the stomach. "Wha—" When Amy rolled her eyes at him and looked pointedly from the Doctor to Donna, he became silent; she wanted to see _them_ talk it out, and he didn't like the idea of getting in her way.

"Why would the walls be thick?" Donna asked thoughtfully. "Radiation shielding?"

"Perhaps," the Doctor said quietly. "They may think the Void spills radiation onto them—which is silly—or, perhaps they're protecting against something else. Escaping Daleks and Cybermen from the Void, maybe?"

"They may think the ripple effect has only occurred within the building," Donna put in.

The Doctor nodded briskly. "Right, that's all well and good. But the one thing that makes me uneasy—"

"Why have they built on HC Clements?" they said in unison. The Doctor turned away as if in thought, though really to hide the red crawling across his face.

"It's obvious they want to use the tunnel," the Doctor said. "It was flooded, but that doesn't make it useless."

"A lot of the water could've become groundwater," Donna pointed out.

"Yeah, in the crust layer," the Doctor scoffed. "That's not all of it, not even close."

"But it could be enough to sink something," Donna murmured.

"Sink what?"

"I don't know! A bomb, a _spaceship_—"

The Doctor shrugged. "Sure, right, let's just deal with the problem at hand. Namely: who are these people?"

"Fine!" Donna exclaimed, turning away and gritting her teeth before following the Doctor down the hall. Rory looked to Amy, who sighed.

"That turned out well," he said, clapping her on the shoulder. She pouted.

"It's just a matter of time," she said confidently.

"They reached the end of the hallway and the Doctor pressed his ear against the door. "Nothing," he said, curling his fingers into a fist and rapping once on the wood with his knuckles. It barely made a sound; the door was thick. Slowly he turned the knob and pulled back; sound suddenly broke through, a buzzing in the air beneath hundreds of voices. "Now, no wandering about, no speaking unless spoken to, and, though I don't even think I need to say this, no listening to a word I say, because nobody bothers to anyway."

They stepped from the hallway, and their gaze was immediately drawn to a massive cloud hovering in the center of the room. It was as though there was a beacon of light within a black mass of smoke; it twisted and winded itself in midair, and they could almost feel the great nothingness it held within it. Long pipes protruded from the cloud and into machines along either side of the room, where insectoid creatures labored diligently. Each had four arms operating devices that made, wrapped, and packaged crackers.

"Welcome, Inspectors," an insect said, coming forward to greet them. "Would you care to remove your pseudo-skins, or are you in for a short visit?"

"Oh, we're just…browsing," the Doctor said, peering past him to the cloud. "My first day on the job, actually, so…I'm really quite interested in _exactly_ what the scoop is here. You know, exactly how everything's carried out on the factory floor."

The insect looked proud, if insects could express emotion. "Why, certainly. The Devourer, of course, was banished to the emptiness of the Void by the pious, self-serving Time Lords millennia ago. Creatures of flesh—you cannot blame them for being so shortsighted." He shook his head, almost with pity, while the Doctor, Rory, Donna, and Amy looked at one another quickly. "They had their short-lived victory, but now they are trapped within their petty Time War. It gives us the ability to launch our final stratagem: of course, that is Operation Genesis."

"Oh, of course," Donna said quickly. "Just let us…look around, all right?"

"Take all the time you need," the insect said, waving a hand. The Doctor and Donna turned to Rory and Amy as the insect left.

"They're Hapsabilicons," the Doctor said quickly. "They've got two levels of consciousness, a hive mind and an individual one. Because of the hive dependency, they're very trusting, but it might not take them long to discover we're not part of their collective."

"And what are they doing with the crackers?" Amy asked. "What's Operation Genesis?"

"They're catalyzing smoke from the Devourer within humans using the crackers," Donna explained. "They mix the smoke into the crackers, and send it out across the _globe_. Millions—billions—of people could potentially be ingesting this stuff."

"And we saw what happened to that Dalek," Rory said slowly. "The stuff made it crazy."

"That was two creatures fighting for control of a single host body," the Doctor said. "Daleks may be powerful within massive civilizations, but a single one, exposed to the Devourer through a crack in the Dalekanium, was easy prey. Still, it must've been half-dead already for the smoke to fail."

"None of this explains why they're packaging up crackers with alien smoke," Amy pointed out.

"It's creating a fifth-dimension-sensitive connector," Donna said. "Like threading a needle with your eyes closed. It starts out, you're just poking blindly, but when you think you've got it through, you've got to get it just that little bit further before you grab it with a finger and thumb and pull it right on through, and then when you've got it, you can pull the entire spool out."

"Except this spool, when you pull it through, may cause the entire universe to pop like a balloon with too much air in it, which is _not_ something I take lightly, Donna," the Doctor exclaimed. "It's _bigger_ than the universe. The Law of Conservation of Mass already says something's wrong, because there are a set number of atoms in the universe. Now, there's more."

"How do we send it back?" Rory asked. The Doctor grimaced.

"The smoke is saturated within humans. Tons of humans. This stuff could be in 75% of the population, and if we pulled it back in, they'd go, too."

"Wonderful," Rory muttered. "Any other plans?"

"We could kill it," Donna said slowly. "It's a hive being, like you said, Doctor, and though it's powerful it probably wouldn't be ready for a single, powerful command ordering it to simply give up and die."

The Doctor's eyes were dark. "You're _not _thinking what I think you're thinking…"

Donna met his gaze evenly. "Doctor, I can take the smoke for at least ten, twenty seconds. I'm not just a human anymore; I've got all the abilities of a Time Lord, and I know every inch of the opportunity that presents." Looking between Rory and Amy, she nodded. "You've got people to look after, Doctor. Why don't I save the universe—for the second time, might I add?"


	8. Chapter 7

The Doctor's reaction was immediate and furious.

"No," he growled. "Never."

"You know it's smarter," Donna pointed out.

"_Screw_ what's smarter," the Doctor snarled, and the others looked at him, startled. "I just learned that my best friend is alive. If you think I'm gonna let her die, you're sadly mistaken. There's got to be another way."

"You know there's none," Donna replied evenly. "If this thing gets through, that means we're all dead anyway. This way, I can die for a reason."

"If you wanted to die for a reason," the Doctor said through gritted teeth, "you should've stayed dead before."

"You're not gonna make me mad, Doctor," Donna said. "All the times I've been ready to die with you and for you, this is the one that matters. The _universe,_ Doctor. I'm not more important to the universe."

"You are to me!" the Doctor exclaimed. Rory and Amy watched silently, and it looked as though he'd say something further on it; he seemed to back out of it suddenly. "No, I—I can't let you do this, Donna. We're not discussing this."

"Excuse me." They turned to see an insect approaching them. It was hunched over, its head cocked to the side, and they suspected what it was about to say wasn't good. "It appears to us that you are not part of the hive."

The Doctor was quick. "Hapsabilicon, we've got three bombs situated in strategic locations on around your queen. If you make one move, they go off."

The insect narrowed its eyes. "The hive has functioned without a queen for eons. The Devourer, ignorant fleshling, harbors the children of our species; the smoke collects to form bodies, with armor harder than your diamonds."

"Oh," the Doctor said slowly. "The dust in the smoke is like spores, the children of the Hapsabilicon. With a collective hive mind, that's how they remain so like smoke. But they must catalyze within living forms."

"This planet is so small," the insect hissed. "When the bodies have catalyzed within the natives of this world, we will do away with it and move on. The shockwaves of its demolition will be enough to enlarge the rip and spread the smoke far across the universe, pulling it through in its entirety."

"The universe will burst!" the Doctor exclaimed. "There's only so much space in the universe; fill it all up, and it will burst, and you will die."

"If we cannot dominate the universe," the insect said, "it is better for there to be none."

"Oh, yeah?"

All eyes turned to Donna; she stood beside the smoky rip, holding a hand up, as though to plunge it into the Void. The Doctor shook his head wordlessly, but she wore a fearless smile.

"Allons-y, Time Boy," she said before reaching deep into the smoke.

"_No!"_ the Doctor roared; suddenly the Time Lady was engulfed within black smoke. A loud, violent rush broke through the air, and the insects looked about in horror before beginning to flee.

"What is she doing?" Amy cried over the screaming wind.

"Absorbing the entire Devourer," the Doctor yelled. "Not just in our world, but in the Void as well. She's not sending it back to the Void; she's killing it, but she's killing herself, too!"

He gritted his teeth; he was unable to watch, yet couldn't look away. Suddenly, it was as though his legs moved of their own accord. He was standing before Donna, looking into the eyes he could just barely make out through the smoke.

"Donna," he whispered.

"I know everything you know," she said. "You know this was the only way."

"You know everything I know?" he repeated, before reaching for her slowly. He pressed his fingers through the smoke to push dark hair back from her neck, and searched her eyes. "Do you know this?"

Closing his eyes, he leaned in, worshiping the very moment their lips first brushed. Soon he was pressing his lips into hers, gently but firmly, and feeling the smoke be absorbed into his own skin, past his lips, and through the hair Donna's fingers were pushing through slowly. They were suddenly two poles of a magnet, drawing in all the smoke into a black whirlwind. The world around them vanished; all they needed was one another, locked in this embrace, forever…

##

**To be concluded…**

**Don't be afraid to review! I'm DYING to know what you think, that's the whole reason I publish! Any suggestions, anything you like or don't like, anything you hope for in the final chapter or anything you just want to say for the sake of saying it. I write for you, so tell me what you want to read!  
**

**XOXO from your faithful servant always,  
Bella**


	9. Chapter 8

**AND NAO, for the moment you've all been waiting for...  
THE FINAL CHAPTER! **

**...That was unnecessary buildup...**

**A quick preview: this will be a rather corny ending, but you know what?  
The best endings are. **

* * *

"Doctor! Doctor, Doctor, oh, _God_, Doctor, wake up! Please wake up, Doctor!"

"Ugh, Amy…_five more minutes_, please?"

Amy and Rory released heavy sighs of relief as the Doctor began to stir.

"We thought we'd lost you, mate," Rory said, placing a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "It was _so_ touch and go there, I've never given a Time Lord CPR."

The Doctor sat bolt upright. "You…gave me mouth-to-mouth?" he asked indignantly.

Rory shook his head quickly. "No—_No!_" Then, shrugging, he sighed. "Amy gave you mouth-to-mouth."

The Doctor shook his arms off, swallowing. "Right. Well, that's less unforgivable. Thanks for that, Rory, Amy. Now…" As he remembered, his eyes met Rory's fiercely. "Where's Donna?"

"She's fine!" Amy assured the Doctor quickly, sweeping her hands down from his shoulders to his wrists. "She's really fine, Doctor, I—I can't explain it."

"Yes," the Doctor said, looking unnerved. "Why are we fine? How did we survive? Why aren't we dead…? Not that I'm _upset_, of course, but…one does wonder."

"I don't know," Amy shrugged. "One minute there was smoke all around, and the next, none. You and Donna were at the center, lying spread-eagle on the floor, when we got to you. It didn't take Donna long to get up, and she went back to the TARDIS. Said it got lonely."

"That is most definitely true," the Doctor said. "Still doesn't answer why we survived."

There was silence until Rory spoke tentatively.

"Maybe…it was the power of love?"

The Doctor and Amy looked at him as though he had a weasel duct-taped to the side of his head.

"Nah—stupid idea—"

"Yes, stupid. Bonkers, ridiculous, absolutely ludicrous." The Doctor cocked his head to the side. "I like it. The Doctor, last of the Time Lords, saved by the power of love. _That_ is something I didn't see coming in nine hundred years."

##

The Doctor, Amy, and Rory stepped into the TARDIS; seeing Donna standing by the console, Amy pulled Rory off to their room, leaving the Doctor and Donna alone.

"Rough day out there," the Doctor said, pointing over the shoulder with his thumb. Donna nodded, running her fingers across the console.

"Yep," she agreed; she lifted a hand to her cheek and twirled a strand of dark hair between two fingers. The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I liked you ginger," he said thoughtfully.

"I liked me ginger, too," she replied. "Maybe I'll be ginger again someday—Maybe you'll be ginger, too."

"Much sooner than you, I hope," he answered tiredly; Donna furrowed her brow.

"Don't say that," she exclaimed. "I don't want to think about what I'll do…when your lives run out."

The Doctor gave her a hard look. "Donna, you don't understand. I have never known anyone I could spend the rest of my life with. People have spent the rest of theirs with me, however short a time it was. Now…I can spend the rest of my life with you, Donna. We can see the first stars of the universe, or the last ones to die. We can go beyond the fancied dreams of the greatest adventurers, and we can do it together."

Donna smiled slowly, and the Doctor released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, stepping towards her.

"Did you know?" he asked, brushing his fingers across her lips.

"Always," she answered.

* * *

**So, thoughts? Questions, comments, concerns? Please review, so I can know if you liked/disliked/meh the ending. **

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: (Wait, isn't this whole thing the author's note...?)  
I have suddenly gotten the inspiration to write a sequel (YAY!) that will include another beloved character from the Doctor's past. Guess the charrie, anyone?**

**XOXO forevers and evers,  
Bella**


	10. House of Cards Teaser

**Uh-oh, Bella's gotten _modern..._**

**NOTE: This chapter is a TEASER of the sequel to this story, _HOUSE OF CARDS_. Below you'll find the link to a YouTube video that is a teaser of the next story, if you'd like to watch it. Allons-y and enjoy!**

* * *

_The lane was silent but for the faint sounds of sirens blocks away; wasn't it the same for every city? Few ventured out at an hour so late, and certainly no one on the little Chiswick street. None, that is, until an electrical pulse lit the damp pavement like a firework, and was replaced with a young woman._

_She stole across the street to a house she'd visited only once; that one time was enough, however, to know it well. The circumstances had been more than spectacular. She knocked hastily on the door, and it flew open after several moments to reveal an old man in pajamas and a stocking cap._

_"Rose!" he exclaimed in surprise._

**

* * *

GERONIMO!**

**The brief teaser for the upcoming story can be found here: youtube .com/watch?v=SncRXunQB30 (I put a space between 'youtube' and '.com', so it would go through, just remove that space to view.  
**

**Enjoy!**

**XOXO,  
Bella  
**


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